ACTION Apartment Association

Santa Monica Landlords' Water Meter Suit Against Rent Board Moves Forward

07/27/2017 1:29 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

July 27, 2017 -- A Santa Monica landlord group can move ahead with a lawsuit against the city's Rent Control Board (RCB) alleging property owners have the right to charge new tenants for water in buildings that have a master meter.

The Superior Court's decision to reject the Rent Board's motion to dismiss the case filed by ACTION Apartment Association last year was handed down on July 14.

“The RCB tried to avoid judicial review of their policy by asserting procedural arguments that are now behind us so that the policy will be reviewed on its merits,” Don Woods, the plaintiff's attorney, said in a statement issued Wednesday.

Santa Monica Council Sets Highest Affordable Housing Requirement in State for Downtown

07/27/2017 1:00 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

July 27, 2017 -- The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday narrowly voted to require up to 30 percent of all new multi-family housing downtown be designated affordable, likely the highest threshold of its kind in California.

The 4-3 vote came after hours of warnings from developers who said they would be unable to shoulder the cost of more affordable units, and renters, who said the council must address the critical shortage of housing for lower-income earners.

AND

http://smdp.com/final-dcp-debate-defined-by-affordable-housing/161896

Apportioned Water Meters Remain Legal in Santa Monica

07/26/2017 1:28 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

By Donald F. Woods esq
Action Attorney

Santa Monica Rent Control Board’s Demurrer to RUBS Policy Lawsuit Defeated

Santa Monica Rent Control Board’s Attempt to Avoid Judicial Review of its RUBS Policy Defeated

07/26/2017 1:06 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

On July 14, 2017, the Superior Court rejected Santa Monica Rent Control Board’s attempt to dismiss at inception the complaint of ACTION Apartment Association seeking a judicial declaration that housing providers with master meters for water can apportion the water charges among the tenants based upon a sharing arrangement allowed in the City of Los Angeles and most other municipalities.

Read Don Woods' statement & press release: Press Release re Demurrer.pdf

Santa Monica City Council Approves Downtown Community Plan

07/26/2017 1:00 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

City Hall released the following press release today regarding approval of the Downtown Community Plan:

The Santa Monica City Council unanimously approved the Downtown Community Plan (DCP) at last night’s City Council meeting on July 25, 2017. The DCP is the central planning tool that will guide the future of Downtown Santa Monica over the next 15 years.

Dear Mr. Hawthorne [and the DCP]

07/26/2017 8:13 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

By Charles Andrews

I read your piece Sunday, about our fair city, in the LA Times Calendar section, headlined “‘A grand bargain’ and a model?” — and I too ended with a question mark.

Perhaps you were well-meaning, and you just got bamboozled. It happens. People, even journalists, come in with a less than erudite notion of Santa Monica. We have a long history, a complex one. Our politics are legendary, but not in a good way. People will tell you stuff, and it sounds reasonable, and when you check it superficially it seems accurate. But I fear you got only part of the picture, and drew your conclusions from that.

rious City

Solving affordable housing: Creative solutions around the U.S.

07/25/2017 12:30 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

But when city leadership, government leaders, and nonprofits get creative and get serious about solving the issues, solutions can take shape.

Quake maps won’t shakeup seismic rules

07/25/2017 8:56 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Proposed updates to the seismic maps covering Santa Monica and the nearby area will have little impact on the way local government regulates construction in geohazard zones.

State regulators issued proposed updates to local fault maps this month and the documents make slight alterations to the locations of fault lines in the city. City Hall has existing rules for construction within the geohazard zone and those rules will apply to any properties covered by the new borders.

There are about 3,800 properties within the existing zone and when the new maps are finalized, any new properties covered by the faults will be notified, as will homes that were already covered by the fault map.

Council to debate subsidies for affordable housing

07/25/2017 8:48 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City Council has long talked about the need to support affordable housing in Santa Monica and a pair of items at this week’s meeting will earmark significant local money for housing construction and preservation.

The two proposals take different approaches to preserving housing. The first targets the actual housing supply while the second protects vulnerable tenants who could losing housing due to financial stress.

The first item is a recommendation from the city’s Housing Commission to establish a new housing trust fund.

The second item on the July 25 agenda would create a pilot program to help low income seniors pay their rent.

Downtown zoning rules make final trip to Council

07/24/2017 8:58 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Downtown Community Plan will have its last public hearing on Tuesday during the July 25 City Council Meeting.

The zoning document will guide development in the Downtown area between Wilshire, the freeway, Lincoln and the beach. While Council has already revised zoning rules throughout the city, Downtown was specifically excluded from the citywide standards to allow for an area specific plan.